“We’re losing two people who truly care about us”

From left, Shylyndria MacKinnon, Emily Donovan and Briannah McNeil are protesting the loss of two staff members at Access 808 once changes to who facilitates the youth drop-in centre take effect this week.

Upcoming changes to who facilitates the centre will mean coordinator Peggy Vassallo and youth social worker John Rolls will be laid off at the end of this week. In protest to the loss of the two employees, Donovan created the Facebook page “Save The Fate Of Access 808” which currently has about 350 members as of Monday night.

Donovan and other centre clients Shylyndria MacKinnon and Briannah McNeil are administrating the page. Each are devastated at the loss of the current staff.

For them, it’s a matter of trust.

“It’s not about us keeping the centre, it’s about us keeping the people who made it what it is,” said Donovan.

“We’re losing two people who truly care about us, don’t judge us and have our backs. It’s time that we have theirs and we’re going to do whatever we have to do to keep them here.”

A recovering drug addict, Donovan has been homeless off and on for the past two years. She said the staff at the centre helped get her off the streets.

“They helped get me clean, get to detox, helped me with support systems,” said the 22-year-old. “I came in here with no one, and left with a therapist, two new social workers who care about me. I have a new family. This is my family.”

Located at 808 George St. in Sydney, Access 808 helps support at-risk youth ages 16-24. Opened in Feb. 2013, the centre offers a place to stay, counseling, education and career support, computer access, food and clothing.

MacKinnon, 16, said she was having trouble coping with the death of her grandfather in August. She said the staff at the centre helped her deal with her anger and self-abuse issues. MacKinnon, who is pregnant, said the staff has been a big help to her.

“A lot of the people who come here have really bad trust issues,” she said. “It took me almost two months to be able to talk to the people who came in here. I’m more me when I’m here than when I’m at my house.”

McNeil said her boyfriend was homeless and was helped by the Access 808 staff. He recommended the centre to her if she needed anyone to talk to.

“They were trying to help me with school and paying for college,” said the 18-year-old. “I met wonderful people.”

Funding Access 808 received from Service Canada expired on March 31 of this year. The board of the Cape Breton Association for Youth Housing and Program Initiatives that oversees the youth centre looked at ways to sustain the facility long-term. Mental health and addiction services with the Cape Breton District Health Authority came forward in mid-March with a proposal to take over Access 808. Its CaperBase outreach service will begin working out of the facility officially on Monday.

Vassallo and Rolls were under contract with Service Canada, so their contracts have expired.

Sgt. Tom Ripley of the Cape Breton Regional Police, a member of the youth housing and program initiatives board, said it was unfortunate that both Vassallo and Rolls won’t be back with Access 808, but putting the centre under CaperBase was the best move to keep it open long-term.

“We struggled with the fact that the district health authority couldn’t hire on the two employees that were there,” he said. “At the end of the day, this was the best option to keep it open.

“If not, the doors would be closing.”

Donovan said a number of the youth have decided to stop using the facility with the departure of Vassallo and Rolls.

“The centre is nothing without them,” she said. “We’re not going to come here.”

The director of mental health and addiction services with the district, Dr. Linda Courey, hopes the youth give CaperBase a chance.

She said with the district on board, it means Access 808 will keep its doors open long-term.

“It would be very sad if kids who needed the services of Access 808 would stay away for whatever reason,” she said. “The bottom line is to make sure youth at-risk in our community have as many options they can to get the services they need, whatever those services might be.”

Donovan, meanwhile, says she plans to organize a picket later this week to draw further attention to the changes. They’re also passing out petitions as well.

From left, Shylyndria MacKinnon, Emily Donovan and Briannah McNeil are protesting the loss of two staff members at Access 808 once changes to who facilitates the youth drop-in centre take effect this week.

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Shelly

May 27, 2014 - 13:57

As usual more cuts for what is really important for our survival. I'm sure if a photo op presents itself for a pat on the back maybe just maybe soneone would listen and keep the positions of trust that have formed open. This center provides channels to help young people to get into programs that are either full or the select few can access. If we keep allowing these cuts there will be nothing left on this island. Look around Mental Health needs more positions for people who have not given up on our youth and truly care. Stand up for everyone! Not just a select few and not just on Mental Health Week. We are losing our sons and our daughters to a real illness. It's so sad that only the select few receive what they need. Our hospitals are being closed at certain hours. This island was once filled with families and young people. Where are they? They are dying from Mental illness and addiction and the lack of medical help in this community but yet our older generation not all still does not believe Mental illness is a disease or addiction is a disease. We need to start caring about all our community. The old and the young. Love this island but disgusted with the lack of empathy.

It seems that whenever something positive happens, it goes south, meaning it never reaches fruition. They didn't mind buying that house, where did that money come from? What are the statistics regarding the centre? How many youth were helped, how many were given a new lease on life? For whatever reason, no matter what happens in Cape Breton, it backfires. No wonder there's an outmigration. I know if I had a second chance, I'd be long, long gone. Now for the negative writers, you'll probably say good riddance, but seriously, what is there here for anybody except for government workers, teachers, healthcare workers, lawyers, and others who make big, big bucks. It's always the ordinary Joe who gets it tenfold working two jobs for minimum wage just trying to keep up with the rise in heating, food, shelter and everyday needs. The others mentioned above can go their merry ways to golf trips, resorts and the like because they, ,unlike most of the population, make a decent living through our taxes.